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Wednesday, 12 January 2011 21:38

Winter Thursdays at Blue Ridge Books

It’s easy to get cabin fever during mountain winters, so consider making Thursday evening the night to venture to Blue Ridge Books and News. You can buy a great cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate, have some dessert, and…
Wednesday, 12 January 2011 21:38

Learn how to two-step at Diamond K

The Diamond K Dance Ranch in Maggie Valley will hold a Two-Step Workshop from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Jan.15. The cost for the workshop is $40 per couple. Everyone must have a partner. To register call Joe…
Wednesday, 12 January 2011 21:37

Audition for ‘Unto These Hills’

The famed Cherokee outdoor drama “Unto These Hills” will hold auditions from 3 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 22, at the Cherokee Historical Association Business Office located at 564 Tsali Blvd. in Cherokee. Anyone interested in acting, singing and…
Wednesday, 12 January 2011 21:35

Renowned historian and storyteller to give presentation in Haywood Jan. 16

The Haywood County Arts Council is proud to present Master Cherokee storyteller and historian Lloyd Arneach will perform at the Haywood County Arts Council’s Sunday Concert Series at 3 p.m. on Jan. 16 at the Haywood County Library in Waynesville.…
Wednesday, 12 January 2011 21:23

Falling in love with the art of paper cutting

A single piece of paper can bring all sorts of different things to our lives: the excitement of a love letter or the heartbreak of a Dear John, the frustration of a speeding ticket or the accolades of a diploma,…
Wednesday, 12 January 2011 21:22

Free radon testing kits available in Jackson

January is Radon Education Month and the Jackson County Center of N.C. Cooperative Extension is offering free testing kits for homeowners to assess the level of radon in their homes. Homeowners may pick up free kits at the Cooperative Extension…
Wednesday, 12 January 2011 21:19

Mountain BizWorks offers planning course­

Mountain BizWorks will offer Foundations, an eight-week business planning course, starting Jan. 24 at its offices in Sylva. During the course, students study how to craft a solid business plan: developing a mission statement, estimating start-up and overhead costs, setting…
Wednesday, 12 January 2011 21:17

Old-time remedies focus of genealogical society meeting

The Haywood County Historical and Genealogical Society will meet at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 25, at the First Methodist Church in Waynesville. Following the business meeting, member Steve Torda will present a program entitled, “With old time remedies the…
Wednesday, 12 January 2011 21:14

Lottery money takes on new role as state budget cuts loom

By definition, the lottery is a gamble. There’s no guarantee of winning, no assurance that you’ll look back on your ticket purchase without regret. Sure, it can pay out big sometimes, but you could just as easily come up empty.…
Wednesday, 12 January 2011 21:13

GOP may loosen rules on lottery proceeds

With the GOP takeover of the state General Assembly, lottery money and how schools use what they’re given will come under new scrutiny. “I wouldn’t have voted for a lottery, but it is the law now and it needs to…
Wednesday, 12 January 2011 21:12

Calm your cabin fever at Haywood’s Fire and Ice Winterfest

Tired of being indoors this winter? Take your mind off winters chill and warm up with the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce Fire & Ice Winterfest from 3-7:30 p.m. this Saturday, Jan. 15, at the Waynesville Inn Golf Resort. Whether…
Wednesday, 12 January 2011 21:10

What price public service? Arizona shooting fuels discussion in WNC

U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler, D-Waynesville, is getting the word out: from now on, he’ll be carrying a gun when meeting with constituents. Just a short time ago such an announcement from a member of Congress probably would have been considered…
Wednesday, 12 January 2011 21:09

New York City? No wonder they left us out

A spokeswoman with the state Department of Transportation said they didn’t intentionally leave out the state’s westernmost counties on an official logo created by consultants paid $434,590.46 by taxpayers. That amount, in the interest of accuracy, was a lump sum…
Wednesday, 12 January 2011 21:05

Letter alleges DOT fraud; investigation under way

An anonymous letter alleging corruption — including bribery, embezzlement, overbilling and theft of state materials — among contractors hired to do roadside maintenance for the N.C. Department of Transportation in Haywood County has been widely circulated in recent weeks. County…
Wednesday, 12 January 2011 21:02

Fund for Haywood County announces grant recipients

Fund for Haywood County has released $28,335 in recent grants to local nonprofit organizations supporting important community initiatives. The grants include: • Habitat for Humanity — $25,000 to support start-up costs for a ReStore to sell usable donated building materials…
Wednesday, 05 January 2011 21:02

A special place in the heart of arborists

Winter is the season for thinking about pines. For the ancient Orientals, pines signified dignity and vitality, especially in old age. In art, a wand tipped with a pine cone was often carried by the god or his supplicants. At…
Wednesday, 05 January 2011 21:01

Farming the woods for forest crops

A one-day workshop called “Does Your Forest Talk Money?” will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 8, at the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center in Graham County. It’s geared for landowners, farmers, wild crafters and food entrepreneurs. The course will explore…
Wednesday, 05 January 2011 21:00

Green Drinks series to highlight chestnut restoration

A talk called “Forest Majesty: Bringing back the American chestnut tree” will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 19, at Posana Restaurant in downtown Asheville as part of the Green Drinks series, a monthly get together to discuss environmental…
Wednesday, 05 January 2011 20:59

Waynesville rec center now offers spin classes

Cyclists aiming to stay fit during winter or those looking for a change of pace in their workout should check out the new spin classes at the Waynesville Recreation Center. Spin classes make exercise on a stationary bike more exciting,…
Wednesday, 05 January 2011 20:59

Ski area to offer after-school program

Cataloochee Ski Area is offering after-school programs for elementary, middle and high school kids to learn to ski or snowboard this winter. The five-week course includes a two-hour clinic once a week from 5 to 7 p.m. Elementary school kids…
Wednesday, 05 January 2011 20:58

Donation sets the stage for protection of Headwaters tract

The quest to protect the 8,000-acre Headwaters tract in Transylvania County — one of the last undeveloped tracts of its size in the Southern Appalachians — is celebrating its first milestone. A donation from Fred and Alice Stanback — conservation…
Wednesday, 05 January 2011 20:57

Bear license plate support projects the Smokies

Special license plates sporting a black bear have proliferated across WNC, raising $356,000 in 2010 for Friends of the Smokies, which funds projects in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Some of the projects made possible by the license plate…
Wednesday, 05 January 2011 20:55

Anglers offer fly-fishing class for beginners

Fly-fishing wannabes can learn the basics and try their hand at casting a line this winter thanks to an ongoing series of beginner fly-fishing classes offer by the Tuckaseigee Chapter of Trout Unlimited in Sylva. The program includes two classroom…
Wednesday, 05 January 2011 20:53

The Naturalist's Corner: A soggy record

The twin banes of birding, wind and rain, combined to help set a new record low for the eighth annual Balsam Christmas Bird Count (CBC). The soggy but undaunted cadre of birders sloshed and slogged their way around Lake Logan,…
Wednesday, 05 January 2011 20:50

The great white quiet

Doug McFalls spent last winter as caretaker at LeConte Lodge in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The lodge is near the 6,593-foot summit of Mt. LeConte, the third highest peak in the Smokies. “I came away with a better…
Wednesday, 05 January 2011 20:49

A cautionary tale of the dangers of excess

“The rich are different from you and me,” F. Scott Fitzgerald once famously said to Ernest Hemingway, to which Hemingway supposedly replied: “Yes, Scott, they have more money.” After getting through the final pages of Heidi Schnakenberg’s Kid Carolina: R.J.…
Wednesday, 05 January 2011 20:48

Music offers break from winter doldrums

Though most people think the music jams at the Bryson City library are just a summertime thing, they carry on year round — the first and third Thursday of every month from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Anyone with a guitar,…
Wednesday, 05 January 2011 20:47

Kids to get crafty with wintertime creations

A free ARTSaturday program for elementary school-aged children and their families will be held from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Jan. 8, at the Macon County library. The Macon County Arts Council will provide all materials and instruction for…
Wednesday, 05 January 2011 20:46

HART studio season begins with ‘Life in the Theatre’

The Haywood Arts Regional Theatre will open its 2011 winter Studio Theater Season with a bit of backstage humor and some twists for the audience when “A Life in the Theatre” debuts on Jan. 7.   The comedy by David…
Wednesday, 05 January 2011 20:45

WNC chefs face off at Fire & Ice

The Haywood County Chamber of Commerce will host a Western Carolina chef’s competition during the second annual Fire & Ice Winterfest on Jan. 15 at the Waynesville Inn Golf Resort. The competition, which will be held from 3:30 – 5:30…
Wednesday, 05 January 2011 20:44

Liars Bench storytellers tip their hat to moonshine history

Moonshine will take center stage at the next Liars Bench, a variety show series paying hommage to aspects of Southern Appalachian culture, at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 8, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. “This show is definitely going to…
Wednesday, 05 January 2011 20:43

Paula Deen cooks up live show at Harrah’s

The cooking star Paula Deen will bring her flare for Southern cooking to Harrah’s Cherokee Casino with a live cooking demonstration at 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 22. Paula Deen, widely known as the Queen of Southern home-style cooking, is a…
Wednesday, 05 January 2011 20:36

Putting on a show: Franklin’s Overlook Theater Company banks on the appeal of timeless stage classics

Everybody loves a classic. At least that’s what the minds behind Franklin’s Overlook Theater Company were banking on when they put together the lineup for their 2011 season. They’ll be putting on shows that embody every definition of the word…
Wednesday, 05 January 2011 20:35

This stretch of road deserves better care

To the Editor: As a Macon County native who learned to drive in these mountains more than 40 years ago, I have driven in all kinds of weather, with and without four-wheel drive. That was not usually by choice, but…
Wednesday, 05 January 2011 20:34

How can faith leaders support Dream Act?

To the Editor: I read in the newspaper an article called “Faith Leaders support the Dream Act.” What reality do these faith leaders live in? They care so much for the children of illegal aliens. Where is there compassion for…
Wednesday, 05 January 2011 20:34

New group seeks political solutions

To the Editor: We live in the greatest country in the world, but we have serious challenges — challenges that threaten our future and need to be addressed. Unfortunately, our elected leaders, in many cases, look at these challenges as…
Wednesday, 05 January 2011 20:33

Immigrants can enrich all of us

To the Editor: Scott McLeod writes accurately and with emotion about the Dream Act (“Hagen, senate wrong on Dream Act,” Dec. 22, Smoky Mountain News). Its passage would not have weakened our borders. The immigrant youth affected by the “no”…
Wednesday, 05 January 2011 20:32

Just shut up and bang it out

I’ve never been big on New Year’s resolutions. But this weekend I decided to list five and work seriously toward accomplishing them by year’s end. The only resolution of mine worth sharing (unless you find personal self-improvement goals such as…
Wednesday, 05 January 2011 20:29

Mistake is a reminder to tell it like it is

“… but a belief in hard work and treating others fairly was ingrained from a very early age in my brothers and I.” See the mistake in the sentence fragment above? Hear it? I bet most people don’t, and I…
Wednesday, 05 January 2011 20:28

HCC offers help in managing time

The Small Business Center of Haywood Community College will offer a free seminar entitled, “Organizing your Work and Life - a Great Way to Start the Year!"from 6-9 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 6, on campus in the Student Center, first…
Wednesday, 05 January 2011 20:28

Learn about animal rescue efforts

Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation’s annual meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 13, at the Haywood County Library on South Haywood Street in Waynesville. Speakers featured at the meeting will be Katherine McGowan Shenar, Interim President/CEO, and…
Wednesday, 05 January 2011 20:27

Public hearing set for landfill problem

Jackson County’s old solid waste landfill is leaking contaminants in higher concentrations than allowed into the groundwater, and satisfying state demands to safely contain the situation will cost taxpayer dollars. Altamont Inc. representative Joel Lenk told commissioners this week that…
Wednesday, 05 January 2011 20:25

Commissioners demand ‘green’ wonder prove black-and-white dollar value

How fickle fortune can be, Timm Muth, the director of the oft-touted Green Energy Park, found upon tendering a simple request this week to the Jackson County Board of Commissioners. Muth’s desire to advertise an open staff position gave way…
Wednesday, 05 January 2011 20:24

Situation still bleak for builders in the region

By Colby Dunn and Quintin Ellison • Staff Writers Although retail businesses might have found some relief toward the latter part of the year, homebuilders and real estate agents found fewer reasons for joy in 2010. For homebuilders, the outlook…
Wednesday, 05 January 2011 20:22

Taking tabs on economic recovery: Economic situation in WNC seems to be improving for small businesses

By Colby Dunn and Quintin Ellison • Staff writers Despite a sour economy, many businesses in Western North Carolina are not only surviving — they are thriving. Take Krismart Fashions on East Main Street in Sylva. While many stores have…
Wednesday, 05 January 2011 20:21

Needmore proposal back for debate; this time in Macon County

People for and against the state Department of Transportation’s plans to pave and widen a 3.3-mile section of Needmore Road have another opportunity to tell officials what they think this month. At the request of the Macon County Board of…
Wednesday, 05 January 2011 20:20

West Elementary gets new classrooms

Swain County’s West Elementary School will be getting a classroom expansion thanks to $1.8 million handed to them by Swain County commissioners in a special session on Monday. The elementary school will gain eight new classrooms to deal with its…
Wednesday, 05 January 2011 20:19

Haywood releases closed session minutes on its own accord

At their last meeting of 2010, the Haywood County Commissioners made what might seem like a rather mundane decision. They chose to release a slew of minutes from their closed sessions over the preceding few months. While the information the…
Wednesday, 05 January 2011 20:17

Crowd revs up against proposed dirt bike racetrack

More than 100 people turned out recently to protest a Macon County farmer’s plan to save his land by building a dirt-bike racetrack. Herman “Bud” Talley, a well-known figure in Macon County — he’s owner of Nantahala Meats, home of…
Sunday, 02 January 2011 17:33

Vote for Western Carolina University's Pride of the Mountains Marching Band

Southern California-area television station KTLA is polling Parade of Roses viewers to determine which participating band is the crowd favorite. To show your support, click on the link to visit KTLA's site and under Band Poll vote for WCU!
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